I know there are probably million topics about this here, but I wanted to get your one final opinion about pedals.

I've ridden Look Keo Classic for years now and since I've got my new Canyon ride I want to change them since I've grown old on them and they are bit on the heavy side.My friend working over at LBS very strongly recommended DA (witch are quite expensive for Sh*tmano) and Ultegra 6700 pedals over Speedplays (witch seem to be very popular these days) and most certainly Look Blades.I'll be glad for any pointers that will help me pick, as I'm looking for something with good power transfer and not much float that will last me for years on.

Yes there are many threads here on pedals and you will get many opinions of someone else's personal preference. I rode Speedplay for 15 years and had hotspots for 15 years and I did over the last several years of riding them use very stiff carbon soled shoes. Others love Speedplay and have very good experiences with them. I've been on Time since 2006 and love them. I'm expecting my Xpresso 12's possibly today and have Time Ulteam carbon titanium pedals currently.

One of the best ways to determine is to ride friends or team mates pedals and hopefully your foot size is the same.

I didn't think Dura Ace pedals were that much money compared to some other top end pedals.

If you are seeking optimal power transfer (ie. a big platform) and minimal float then Shimano SPD-SL cannot beat IMO. Bombproof, great bearings, cleats available anywhere. Speedplay are popular and have their cult-like loyalists, but they have a lot of negatives (yes, I'm experienced with them).

Having said all the above, I ride Time pedals and have done so for the majority of my 20 years in cycling.

I like everything about the DA pedals except the entry can be a bit difficult. I can nail it when there is no pressure but sometimes flub it when there is (I've been riding for 20 years so it's not lack of experience). If you race crits you might want something else.The Ultegras should be nearly as good and are much cheaper. If you look you can find 7900 pedals on sale.

Since this is WW, the SPD-SL pedals are also not the lightest. When comparing against other pedals you need to take the cleat weight into account. Stock SPD-SL no float cleats and hardware is about 72g.

I think I'll go with DA/Ultegra's because most people recommend them (too bad I ride .it bike and gear, but... )I was thinking about the Look's again but heard the bearings are not as good as in SPD's, and I'll pass on Speedplay's as they look nice but might be problematic with the cleat and what not.

Said it before...Speedplay cleats suck, Keywin just don't have the right float for me and Dura-Ace don't either...just ditched my Dura-Ace tonight (yellow cleats) as they're too restrictive and ended up back with my Time RXS's...

_________________"It never gets easier, you just go faster..."- Greg Lemond

Keywins have massive contact area, something like 3 times that of any other pedal. I like them and find them easy to ride, the float is adjustable and has a nice progressive resistance so you feel snug in them. they take a few goes to get used to clipping in and out.

But I run most of the time Look Keo Blades with Ebay Titanium axles. Extremely light, VERY positive clip in, Easy to service and high quality bearings. As long as you don't over grease them they hang at a constant perfect angle so very easy to reclip and I'm always in 4 or 5 peddle strokes before the Shimano users have finished faffing. Definitely the best and lightest

I switched from Speedplay to Dura-Ace at the recommendation of 3D Bike Fit. I like the stable platform but don't like the relative difficulty of clipping in. The cleats are light and don't require covers for walking. Obviously there's a huge difference in float from Speedplay but I don't miss it. The pedals are relatively heavy but it doesn't take much performance improvement to overcome that small disadvantage. So far it's still a trial, and I'm not 100% decided yet on if I'm going to stick with them. At this point I now have 3-hole shoes to replace my 4-hole Bonts so Ultralite sports is an option I can now consider. Key factors with those is (1) can I get my feet sufficiently inboard to retain my present stance, (2) is clip-in easier than Dura-Ace, (3) do they have comparable stability to Shimano.

I too switched from Speedplay to Shimano on the recommendation of 3D Bike Fit and will never go back. I'm riding DA7900 on a Campy bike and love them. For walking, the SPD-SL cleats are the best. The only advantage that Speedplay has over any other system is the dual sided entry. That is very nice. I do want to try the Keywin system. Some of my crew are riding them and are very happy with them. The Keywins are very light, have possibly the lowest stack height and are available in various axle lengths.

I was a long time speedplay user until last summer I switched to Dura Ace.

They are both nice. I used Aerolites and Look before that. They all have pros and cons. I don't see any compelling reason to recommend one over the other except to consider some specific issues:

Aeroltes were ridiculously light, but have absolutely zero float. My knees got sore. They are a PIA to install, and you can have the cleat wotrk its way off the pedal inadvertently. No real bearings either. Probably my least favorite, but they were revolutionary in their time.

Look: Good pedals. I switched so I could have some float, which did fix my knee soreness. But they were heavy. I later went to speedplay just to save weight. Look has continued to bring the weight down now so they are probably a good choice too.

SpeedplayFloat: If you really need significant float, speedplay is the only way to go. My first thought when switching to DA, even with the "float cleat" was "where's the float ?!?!?...I don't feel any!".Even if you like no-float, you can adjust the speedplays to take it out. (Speedplay Zeroes)Speedplay has dead-nuts simple, idiot proof stomp-down two-sided entry. The clear winner by an enormous margin.Very light.The cleats require a but of care on installation, but once you just realize they are serious when they say "flat" it is actually quite easy. Just make sure to select the proper shims. I never had any pull-outs or failure to engage in over a decade of using speedplays. I also never experienced any significant "rocking" side to side, as some people report. Maybe that has to do with how your foot naturally aligns. Replace the cleats once per year and use cleat covers when doing any significant walking.

Dura Ace: I am now using them and I obviously think they are also good. They are barely perceptably more "stable" and rigid than speedplays.....maybe. The bearings are reputed to be maintenance free for life (we'll see). And the cleats are light, easy to walk in and easy to install. All this with a penalty of a bit more weight and single-sided entry. I can clip in fairly smoothly most of the time, but I still miss the first try occasionally and have to look down & futz around a bit. Not a big deal but a minor annoyance. I miss the speedplays at those times! But I am also happy with the rugged stability of the DA once going. Cleat cover aren't necessary, but since I had developed the habit of using them on speedplays I got some for these also, and they do provide a more secure feeling walk. You can find the DA carbon for ~$220 if you look around the internet.

I have never used Time, but their new xpresso line does look interesting and seems to get good reviews. I think PBK has ridiculously low prices on them.

I had to rebuild a 7810 pedal once, because it developed a bit of play. It's not too hard if you have a narrow 20mm box end wrench. The bearings inside are completely serviceable. They're loose so keep the spindle end up when you remove it.

Who is online

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum